A Prophecy of Future Lawlessness - St. Anatole the Younger of Optina

A very important prophecy, focused more on the signs of the apostasy than specific people and places, from a Russian New Martyr, St. Anatole the Younger of Optina (+1922). This prophecy was given shortly after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. St. Anatole was a clairvoyant, God-bearing elder and one of the great cloud of elders from the monastery of Optina. -READ the prophecy here: https://www.orthodox.net/articles/anatoly-letter.html -BUY the book giving the full account of his life and teachings from St. Herman of Alaska Press, "Elder Anatole the Younger of Optina": https://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/Elder-Anatole-the-Younger-of-Optina-p/ana.htm -READ a shorter version of his life in The Orthodox Word, Issue 39, Jul-Aug 1971. Read here: https://archive.org/details/100101V17N05061981SepOctNovDec -READ "Russia's Catacomb Saints": https://russiascatacombsaints.blogspot.com/ -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ [Satan] will not begin by crudely rejecting the dogmas of the Holy Trinity, the divinity of Jesus Christ and the virtue of the Theotokos, but he will begin imperceptibly to distort the teachings and statutes of the Church and their very spirit, handed down to us by the Holy Fathers through the Holy Spirit. Few will notice these wiles of the enemy, only those more experienced in the spiritual life. Heretics will seize power over the Church and will place their servants everywhere; the pious will be regarded with contempt. He (the Lord) said, by their fruits ye shall know them, and so, by their fruits, as well as by the actions of the heretics, strive to distinguish them from the true pastors. ...they will distort the Divine Faith imperceptibly, in order to succeed better in seducing and enticing the inexperienced into the net. ...all those ruled by heresy will not endure piety. Monastics will be greatly oppressed by the heretics and monastic life will be scorned. These threats will cause great despair among the fainthearted, but you, my son rejoice that you have lived until that time, for then the faithful who have not shown any other virtues, will receive crowns merely for standing firm in the faith, according to the word of the Lord. ...the holy martyrs and confessors, they will look upon you and your struggle with joy. But woe to the monks in those days who will be bound with possessions and riches, who because of love of peace will be ready to submit to the heretics. They will lull to sleep their conscience, saying, “We are preserving and saving the monastery and the Lord will forgive us.” The unfortunate and blind ones do not at all consider that through heresy the demons will enter the monastery and then it will no longer be a holy monastery, but merely walls from which grace will depart. Do not fear sorrows, rather fear pernicious heresy, for it strips us of grace and separates us from Christ. And so my son strengthen yourself in the grace of Jesus Christ. Hasten to confess the faith, to endure suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, Who has said, Be faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!